Fortune
by GuardofLiberty
Summary: The prequel to Savior. Olga Pataki has always been the apple of everyone's eye, her parents most of all. But there is something beneath this mask of beauty that no one really gets to see. Olga has always worn her mask well, but when a new romantic whirlwind enters her life, he threatens to tear that mask off.
1. Treasure

**This is the prequel to _Savior_. Reading that story isn't necessary to comprehending this one, though it may give you a better picture. We never get to see what Olga's like when she's away from her family on the show, and I've noticed that there's no real stories of that here either. So I want to explore this niche. Tell me what you all think.  
**

* * *

It started out as a game.

That's how it usually was to him.

Louis Burbon fiddled with his tie and combed his hair one last time. He examined himself in the mirror. He looked satisfactory. And satisfactory to Louis Burbon was nothing short of excellence. He looked better than good, and that was what he had become accustomed to demanding. He wore a custom-made black suit with cuff, a lavender tie, and Armani shoes. Louis added one final thing to finish the ensemble - a silver belt buckle cut in the shape of the sun with a human face. He'd had it made to pay homage to an ancestor, hoping to tap into his power and essence. It was certainly a great way to top off his outfit at the very least. Louis had long made it a personal rule to be the best-dressed man in the room, especially on occasions such as this evening's soiree.

After putting his fingers through his black hair one last time, he smirked to himself, his green eyes lighting up in mirth. He had made sure to take care of his skin for the occasion as well. It shone like porcelain.

His phone rang. Louis strode over slowly to pick it up.

"Hey Alex. Yeah, I'm all ready to go. Twenty minutes? Cool. See you then."

He hung up.

Louis' friend Alex Narshkev was a graduate student studying physics. He was also a TA at Bennington College. The twenty-four-year-old Louis had chosen a different course. After graduating from college himself with degrees in business and communications, Louis had opened a public relations consulting firm. He did business primarily across his native Maine and larger New England.

Louis passed the time by looking over some business affairs. He'd just closed a deal the day prior. He still had some more work to do regarding another one - helping an old contact from college get ideal press coverage for the campaign he was about to work on.

The phone rang again. Louis knew who it was and he did not answer. Instead, he walked downstairs from his third-story apartment and out into the street. He greeted his friend with a raised hand and got into the passenger side of his car.

"What's happening?" Alex greeted.

"Closed a deal." Louis smirked as they drove in the early evening, just as the sun was setting. "But you can keep fiddling around with your equations." He challenged with a glance.

"Kind of like you fiddling around with the world wide web?" Alex smirked back.

"Touche." Louis nodded his head. "I like the wit Alex. Keep it up and you might be able to bag my groceries."

The two men chuckled.

"Alright so what's the plan? We go to this orchestra and then the reception afterwards but we need to make a deal. If one of us pulls some pussy, we don't wait for the other when we want to leave."

Alex laughed. "As usual with you, my man. Treating everything with military precision."

"As it should be, considering Brother Henry and his lessons. He always did tell me to plan to the end." Louis grinned. "Get paid, get laid. That's the motto for me."

"And it isn't a bad one." Alex bantered. "But do try to enjoy the music." He challenged with a grin.

"If I wasn't going to enjoy the music, I'd never have come." He replied. "But I will hold you accountable if it isn't good."

"Oh, it'll be good. Trust me."

* * *

Olga Pataki leaned over the vanity and put the finishing touches on herself by putting on her light pink lipstick. She needed to find just the right shade to glow in this atmosphere, with the lights shining down on her.

"Five minutes until they need us on stage, Olga!"

"OK Alyssa!" Olga called.

She sighed, this was always hectic, but she loved it all the same. Music brought joy to people's lives, and if she could help in that, that was all that mattered. There was also something about music that called to her. She felt free when she really immersed herself in a song, banging out note after note on the keys, free as a bird.

Olga examined herself. Her cosmetics had been done right, and her hair had been pinned up elegantly. She wore a satin black evening gown with straps that hung over her neck. She wondered though, whether the dress was cut too low in the front and back. Olga turned around to look at herself in the mirror.

"Olga!"

"I'll be right there!" She said and came out of the room.

"Wow Olga!"

Olga turned over to see a friend of hers, Alyssa Azurani, looking at her approvingly. Alyssa was a sophomore and a violinist in the orchestra. She wore a purple gown that was somewhat more modest.

"You look so beautiful! I'm not used to seeing you in something that...sexy." She whispered with a grin.

A slight blush rolled across Olga's face. Alyssa laughed.

"No need to be modest, Olga. It fits you perfectly. You couldn't wear anything like that when you were in Alaska, so it's time you made up for that! Anyway, we better get going."

"Yeah." Olga nodded.

"We're just so glad to have you back, Olga!" She said as they began to walk. "The orchestra just hasn't been the same without you! Who are we without our star pianist? The last few performances with you back have been much better!"

Olga smiled lightly at the appreciation.

* * *

Alex showed the tickets, and he and Louis proceeded to their seats. They were on the front row of the second balcony, and had a good view of the stage.

"The sound carries better up here." Alex remarked.

Louis nodded and sat in his seat. The velvet was comfortable.

"Any word on what the score is gonna be? I do like a bit of surprise in everything, but I'm curious as to the general time period."

"I think they might be doing Lully and Charpentier tonight. High Baroque. That should suit you perfectly, in more ways than one." Alex answered.

Louis smirked and watched as the performers began to get on the stage. The crowd continued to file in and the two friends talked for a bit longer. They were interrupted when the prompt for silence began, and the music played. He recognized the opening piece. It was Lully's _Symphonie_ _Te Deum._ A smile grew on Louis face, and he found his eyes drawn toward the left end of the stage.

* * *

"It's nice, right?" Alex asked during a five minute intermission. The concert had been going on for about forty-five minutes now, and the orchestra had just completed Charpentier's _Marche de Triomphe_.

"Everything is as you promised me." Louis answered. "They're pretty good, I must admit, and the sound does carry well in this theater."

Alex smirked and nodded.

"However..." Louis trailed in a more serious tone.

Alex looked at him curiously.

"The real treasure is to be found seated over there on the piano." He slowly and subtly pointed.

Alex turned his head. A grin immediately broke out on his face. "Ah." He noised almost knowingly, predicting that something like this would occur.

"Who is she?" Louis asked rather blankly. The two watched the young woman with blonde hair in a sexy, yet exceedingly elegant gown turn the page on her music sheet and twiddle her dainty fingers, obviously trying to get circulation in them.

"That's Olga Pataki." Alex grinned. "She's in the junior class." He informed. "I was a TA in an atmospheric science class she was taking previously. She went to Alaska for a semester...to teach Inuit children. She just came back."

Louis chuckled and turned to his friend. "Sounds like what a naive upper middle class girl does when she's got too much time on her hands."

Alex chuckled back. A small, sly, masculine grin broke out from Louis' lips as he turned back to look at her. His eyes twinkled as his friend continued to speak. He was admiring this woman and all the curves on her body, soaking in her beauty, pleasing his senses.

"_All_ the guys want to go out with _her_." Alex continued to grin.

Louis slowly turned his head to his friend and almost appeared to be taunting him. "So why haven't you stepped up to the plate?" He challenged.

"I did. She turned me down." Alex replied with a small sigh but a big smirk.

Louis chuckled. "I told you you needed to drop this TA nonsense and get in the gym."

"No, no. I doubt she'd be into me in any case. Olga's sort of a free spirit and I'm a hard-nosed scientist." He laughed lightly along with Louis. "You on the other hand should have a much better chance." He complimented. "If you plan on taking it, of course."

"At the reception? Oh I'll be taking it, you can bet on that." Louis answered.

"Fine, but be warned, the competition's gonna be something _fierce_." Alex teased.

Louis chuckled haughtily. "If you only mean in number. Trust me, I'm not worried about the quality of my so-called competition. Beauty like that is worth some effort in any case. And if she's as free a spirit as you say, perhaps my bed will be warm tonight indeed."

Alex now broke into a huge laugh. It was contagious, and Louis found himself laughing along with his friend until the music came back on.


	2. Meeting

Olga Pataki held the roses she'd received in her hands as she entered the reception area, walking slowly.

"Olga, what do you mean you only want to stay an hour?!" Alyssa asked almost incredulously. "It's a Saturday night!"

"I have an exam coming up on Monday. I have to study!" Olga smiled.

"Always the honor student huh?" Alyssa asked.

Olga smiled lightly.

"You need to greet your adoring fans though!" She teased.

Alyssa had not finished her sentence when the two became visible to the crowd, and everyone began to applaud Olga, Alyssa included. Olga beamed and waved to them. They walked further into the room.

"Olga!"

She turned around and beamed at a familiar face.

"Professor Hensius!" Olga greeted excitedly.

The two exchanged a hug. Olga looked at one of her favorite professors and beamed. Judith Hensius was an older woman in her 60's who taught many of the literature classes she'd taken, including the infamous Elizabethan Poetry class which...well, Olga would rather not think about that incident.

"Wonderful performance Olga! We all missed having you around!"

"Oh, thank you!" Olga gushed. "I just wish I could have been in one of your classes this semester!"

"Don't worry about it dear. I'll always be around. You just continue on with your fabulous performances! Oh, you bring such joy to everyone."

Olga smiled warmly and waved to some more of her fellow students in the orchestra that were passing by.

"Girls, why don't we go and get some drinks?" Judith suggested.

Olga and Alyssa nodded and followed the professor toward the bar. As soon as they moved toward that area, a number of young men moved to greet them.

"Congratulations Olga!"

"Fantastic performance!"

"Allow me to buy you a drink!"

Olga closed her eyes and breathed deeply, then looked toward Alyssa, her eyes sparkling. Both girls shared a giggle and Judith looked toward the scene with a mirthful smile.

* * *

"If that is true, as you say, then it would mean the whole nature of reality is in fact, akin to a digital realm." Louis replied as he and Alex walked slowly into the reception area. Girls would walk by and eyeball him, but he paid them no attention.

"Indeed. It is a very eerie parallel. Let's say Louis, that you're crafting an image on your computer. You do this a lot in your business right?"

"Sure." He answered as he took a couple of glasses of wine that were being offered by a server, passing one to his friend.

"When you zoom down to the barest level of the image, you find that it's really just a collection of pixels arranged in a certain way to give you the final result that you see, right? Well this is actually the way the universe itself behaves. When you go down to the barest levels, you'll find that particles are all arranged in a certain way to essentially present the images we see. And when you look at the way that particles seem to be arranged, it's eerily similar to a sort of binary code."

"So you're saying we live in some kind of gigantic alien Nintendo?" Louis teased.

"Who knows? But it's a fascinating topic. I'm planning on pursuing this for my doctorate. It's an emerging field in physics and I'd like to be a star in it." Alex said as he looked around the room and took a sip of his wine. He looked toward the bar and elbowed his friend. "Look. There she is."

Louis took a few small steps forward and looked through the crowd to see her gracefully sipping on her drink, a small smile on her face. His eyes twinkled and his face morphed into a bold, determined expression. He turned his head back slowly toward his friend.

"Well, you keep on being a nerd. I'm gonna go bag my bird." He smirked.

Alex chuckled and elbowed his friend slightly. "It's a difficult approach." He warned with a slight tease. "Look at all those guys surrounding her. You sure you want to do it now? I told you it was gonna be like this!"

"It's more entertaining this way." Louis smirked again and looked toward her admiringly.

Alex grinned. "I'll bet you twenty bucks you won't be able to pull it off this way."

Louis turned back toward him. "Twenty extra bucks just to get her away from those chumps? Done." He grinned and slowly took a twenty out of his wallet, handing it to his friend. Louis began to stride slowly over, but then turned his torso back toward Alex. "You can go on counting the amount of particles you're about to lose on your own twenty dollar bill. Tell me how many particles each dollar is worth."

Alex laughed out loud and Louis began the trek once again. His eyes twinkled again as her form got closer. Unlike his friend, he could tell that this was going to be _very_ easy. The way that she subtly moved her head at times, not paying particular attention to anything, told him that she was bored, or at least dissatisfied. It was easy to see why. The men were fawning over her like little puppies eager to please, and none of them were dressed particularly well. There were suits and then there were suits. None of them wore the latter. Slowly and surely, Louis strode over with a fluid determination in his movements.

* * *

"I remember when I had to take piano lessons when I was a little boy!" A senior by the name of William Devlin began. "I was just terrible but they made me do it anyway! Glad to see that you've made use of these things at least!"

Olga smiled lightly as another man talked. This one was Landon Marshal, a freshman and a rising star on the lacrosse team.

"Well I'd heard a lot about you Olga. I'm just happy I got to finally see you and now meet you in person!"

"Oh, thank you! I'm glad you liked it!" Olga gushed.

More and more admirers began to arrive at the scene to pay Olga their compliments. Olga greeted each of them, smiling lightly at their jokes. She shared glances with Alyssa and the two narrowed their eyes in a knowing smile. Even Professor Hensius was giggling. Olga put her chin in her hand and let out a small sigh as she received yet another compliment from a well-wisher, smiling politely at him. Then she heard a voice not directed at her, but to her crowd of admirers.

"Excuse me, excuse me gentlemen! How are you all doing? Hope you're night's going well. Olga! There you are!"

It was a voice she did not recognize. She darted her head up.

"Wow..." Alyssa whispered wistfully.

"Olga, it's getting late and I don't have all night. We better go do that interview now."

Olga looked a bit confused, but Alyssa was nodding her head approvingly. Even her professor was giving her a small giggle and wink.

"C'mon, let's get going." He said and whisked her away, to the astonishment of the guys that had gathered. They walked for a minute or so until they reached a large window that was overlooking a park area behind the theater. He stood to the side and looked out of it, enjoying the view. There were some people outside socializing amidst the tranquil scenery.

Olga took the time to get a better look at him. Things had happened so fast that she was confused. He was certainly handsome. "Um..." She trailed shyly. "Is there a series of questions you wanted to ask me? Do you work for one of the school publications?"

"No." He chuckled and did not look at her.

Now Olga was confused. "Then...why did you ask me to come over here?"

He turned toward her, a sly smile on his face. "A convenient excuse to get you away from your loyal terriers." His eyes twinkled.

Now Olga began to blush and look down at the ground, shuffling her feet.

"But you can go back to them if you want. I'm sure it's quite invigorating being around that lot." He said sarcastically.

Olga giggled lightly. "I haven't seen you around these parts before. Do you go to school here?"

"No." He answered and again took a couple of wines off the tray of a nearby server, offering her one. "I do business around this area. My apartment isn't too far."

"Oh..." Olga trailed shyly as she took the offered wine. "If you don't go to school here, how did you know about this performance or about me?"

"A friend of mine invited me tonight. I believe you know him: Alex Narshkev, a graduate student studying physics. He says he was a TA in some atmospheric science class you took."

"Oh! How's he doing?"

"He's doing as good as can be done for a nerd like him." He smirked sarcastically. "Hope he didn't give you a hard time. Just now he was talking about how he's doing his doctorate based on a hypothesis that the universe is a gigantic computer and we're all a bunch of zeroes and ones. You'd be the zero of course."

Olga was giggling and smiling warmly now. "He was pretty attentive to detail in my class, but I found I learned more from him that way."

"You must _really_ be bored." He teased. "I sort of like that though."

"What's your name?" Olga asked with a warm smile.

"Louis Burbon." He answered and extended his hand. Olga took it. As Louis held on to Olga's hand, savoring her soft skin, he slowly took a look backward and spotted Alex. He shot him a knowing glance that conveyed the message: _you owe me twenty bucks_.

Alex, who was across the room and otherwise busy talking to a young woman in his own right, cast him a silly, but also admiring glance.

Louis turned his head back toward Olga. He was still holding her hand. She began to blush as he slowly withdrew from the handshake.

"So, tell me, what exactly were you doing in Alaska teaching Inuit children? Alex told me about that too. Why would a girl like you decide to go there?" He slightly challenged.

"Well..." Olga began to trail. Her eyes appeared to be heavy and her voice trailed off. Her lips noticeably tightened.

"...Is there something the matter?" Louis raised his eyes in surprise.

"No! I just wanted to help those less fortunate than myself and..." Olga began.

She was interrupted by the sound of Alex Narshkev greeting her.

"Hi Olga, it's been a while!"

"Hello Alex." She greeted softly.

"Louis, a word?"

Louis turned his back on Olga and immersed himself in conversation with his friend. They walked to the right. Olga ran her finger on the edge of her glass, watching them. They looked to be talking about something serious. She wondered what that was. Olga took the opportunity to get a good look at him again. He was certainly a very handsome man, and charming too. What surprised her most though was the way he was talking to her.

"Olga!"

She turned around to see another man, a fellow junior by the name of Greg Walsham walking up to her. She greeted him with a polite smile.

"I didn't get the chance to congratulate you on your performance!"

"Oh, thank you!" She gushed.

"You had everyone on the edge of their seats with the tempo of your concerto!" Greg continued.

Olga smiled, slightly darting her eyes to the right.

* * *

"Well you better get on that soon Alex, your time is running out." Louis said, turning his head back toward Olga. Their eyes met. He smirked when he saw her talking to the other guy and his expression was a sort of telegraph: _having fun?_ He was asking with a sarcastic face. Her eyes beamed and she turned back.

"We can talk about it more tomorrow I guess. Apologies for not bringing it up sooner. I don't want to play the role of cockblocker." He grinned. "By the way, here's your twenty."

Louis smirked as he was handed the money. He put it into his wallet.

"Looks like you have another cockblocker." Alex grinned slightly as he saw Olga talking to Greg.

"One is nothing." Louis smirked and walked back.

* * *

"But what I really liked most about your performance was..." Greg continued.

"Apologies for the interruption, Olga." Louis said, entering the conversation again. "Business."

She smiled warmly when he returned. "Greg, this is Louis Burbon. Louis, this is Greg Walsham. We had a class together once." Olga informed.

"Nice to meet you." Louis greeted. "You were in a class with her?"

"Yeah, we were..."

Louis turned his head slightly but moved very close to Olga as Greg continued to talk.

"_Listen._" He whispered. "_I'm gonna pretend I need to talk to Alex again. You tell him you need to go to the bathroom, then do a roundabout and meet me outside in the park._"

Olga silently and subtly nodded.

This conversation continued for a few more minutes. Louis then excused himself. Olga followed suit about a minute later.


	3. Moonlight

Olga went through the double doors leading to the park and saw Louis leaning back against the wall, staring up at the sky with a smile on his face. Olga smiled and walked up to him.

"Hi." She greeted nervously.

Louis didn't answer. He just continued looking up.

"What are you staring at?" She asked curiously.

Louis slowly pointed up and Olga stared widely at the full moon. It looked close and shined brightly with a luminous yellow glow. She sighed in admiration.

"Most people don't even care to look at the moon." Louis said as Olga joined his staring. "There's so much beauty in the natural world, but people are too oblivious to notice. They're so worried about the next thing, and then the next, and the next, that they can't get out of their heads and enjoy being alive every once in a while, wouldn't you agree?" He smirked at Olga.

"Yeah, it is very nice." Olga sighed.

Louis smirked and moved closer to her, putting an arm around her shoulders. Olga looked at him and then they both looked up at the moon again.

"I'll tell you a bit of a secret." Louis leaned over to whisper close to her ear. Olga smiled and leaned in too. "I've always wanted to go to the moon and see the earth rise from there. I don't think there could be a more magnificent sight in the entire universe. I'd be free as a bird, a mighty eagle soaring the skies with no cares or concerns. Just me and the magnificence of the universe. Does anything ever make you feel this way?"

"Yes." Olga answered almost without thinking. "When I'm really in tune with playing the piano, I sort of feel that way." She said with a modest blush.

"Even with an entire audience watching your every move?"

"Well, yeah." Olga smiled. "I don't really get nervous. I just like losing myself in the notes. I feel more liberated when I can just play. When I'm alone and practice, I can feel really free. Nobody expects anything of me for once."

"And what do you mean by that?" Louis asked curiously.

Olga gasped, but regained control of herself. "Oh, nothing really." She smiled.

"Alright well..." Louis said as he looked around, spotting a bench. He put his hand down on the small of Olga's back and gently motioned for her to follow him. She complied, and they walked to the bench. Louis grinned as he took Olga's hand and helped her down. She giggled.

"So Louis..." Olga trailed as he took a seat beside her. "What kind of business are you in?"

"Already asking me about that are you?" Louis teased, which elicited a nervous laugh from Olga. "I have a public relations consulting firm. I basically help businesses and other entities increase their exposure."

"Oh..." Olga trailed nervously, trying to think of something to say. "Do you like it?"

"I thought we were past small talk." Louis grinned, causing her to laugh nervously. "Yeah, I like it. It's interesting. I get to work with some cool people. But anyway, enough about that. You said you were most in tune with yourself when playing the piano. Do you see yourself doing that for the rest of your life? Is that what you want to devote yourself to?"

Olga smiled and then looked at the ground, kicking her feet a bit. "Maybe." She responded. "But I don't know if it'll work out. I looked toward teaching last semester as an alternative."

Louis laughed lightly.

"What's so funny?" Olga asked, somewhat taken aback.

"A famous ancestor of mine once said: 'there are often troublesome occasions which may cause you to hesitate in making a decision, but once you do, and think you have seen the best course, you must take it.' It's good advice. It's worked for me as it worked for him. Trust me Olga, you don't belong on the frozen end of nowhere locked away in some igloo. You have too much talent for that, and you would only be denying your own nature."

Olga began to fidget nervously and unconsciously attempted to smooth out her dress.

"And besides." Louis grinned, getting a bit closer to her. "You're too beautiful to spend all your days in front of kids who won't be able to admire you."

Now Olga really began to blush and smile bashfully.

"What I'm saying is, you should take my ancestor's advice. If this is what you want to do you need to go for it. You know your true character. Let it come out."

"I...who was your ancestor?" Olga asked, unable to think of something to say on the fly.

Louis laughed loudly, and Olga began to mirror it.

"I'm not telling you that yet." He teased. "You'll have to pry that out of me at a later time."

Olga sighed and looked up at him, her eyes twinkling. Louis grinned slyly. Both looked up at the moon and then back down at each other. Louis slowly slid an arm around the small of Olga's back. Both briefly looked at the other's lips, and then Louis slowly pulled her inward. Their mouths met in a soft and slow kiss. Louis began to run a hand through Olga's hair when she began to smile in the kiss. They parted.

"You're good kisser." She breathed wistfully.

"So are you." He complimented back.

"I'll look into what you said." She sighed. "I'd really love it more than anything. And what about you though? You said you already have your own business. That's really cool for someone so young, but where do you want to take it, ultimately?"

"Ah, a good question." Louis grinned and again pulled her close. "Well, right now I'm doing a lot of consulting work here in the New England area. I particularly like to help people get their message across with online marketing. The internet is booming fast and trust me it will be the gold rush of the twenty-first century. So I want to continue on that track, maybe do some business on the west coast too, and ultimately become a presence in the really big markets some day - New York, California, you know. I suppose in the not-too-distant future I can start to make a presence on the west coast in Hillwood in Washington State. My mother's sister lives there."

"No way!" Olga cut him off.

"Uh...way." Louis teased.

"No I mean, that's where I'm from!"

"Is it now? That is just the most fascinating thing I've ever heard." He continued to tease.

"You're terrible." Olga punched his arm slightly.

"Well, there's something I'm not terrible at, and by your own admission." He grinned slyly again.

Olga laughed lowly and closed her eyes as Louis pulled her in again. Their kiss was more intimate than the last one as Louis began to suck on Olga's top lip. She laughed inwardly and played along. They parted with flirtatious smiles and then began to look up at the moon again. Louis began to rub her back slowly and gently.

"What do you say we get out of here? I know a cool lounge not terribly far from here."

Olga smiled warmly and began to nod, but then blurted out a question. "What time is it?" She asked.

Louis looked at his watch. "It's around 10:15, why?"

"Oh no!" Olga erupted in concern.

"What's the problem?" Louis asked, taken aback.

"I need to get back to my room and study for my exam on Monday!"

"On a Saturday night?" Louis asked in a surprise that even he found difficult to contain.

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I really need to go."

"Alright well." Louis began. "Give me your number so I can call you. I want to take you out next weekend."

"Yes. OK." Olga complied. "I'll give you the number to my cell phone."

"You have one of those? I thought only lawyers, stock brokers or business owners like me had them."

She laughed. "My daddy owns a store out in Hillwood that sells beepers and cell phones, so I have one."

Louis made a display of pulling out his own cell phone and she laughed. The numbers were exchanged. Olga kissed him goodnight and abruptly left. Louis put his cell phone away and wondered why she was so frantic about needing to study. He slowly looked up at the moon again.

"That was weird." He muttered to himself.


	4. Study

Louis walked slowly back into the reception area. He went over to a table and got something to eat. Alex was nearby, talking to the young woman he'd seen him chatting with earlier.

"Louis, I just saw Olga running through here to leave. Did something bad happen?"

"No. Something weird."

"Something weird?"

"Yeah. We were having a good conversation and making out."

"You son of a..." Alex was laughing.

"But." Louis cut his friend off. "When I suggested we go to the Nebula..."

"The Nebula?" Alex grinned. "That's your usual spot to hang out and then get girls to come home with you." He laughed.

"Well, that was the plan." Louis smirked. "Things looked good to go but..."

"Damn you're good." Alex complimented. "Out of every girl here it's her that..."

"Can I finish?"

"Ah. Sorry."

"Anyway, we were hitting it off, and then she abruptly said she needed to go to her room and study. I got her number, I'm taking her out next weekend, but it was weird. I've never heard that from a girl before. Anything you can tell me?"

"Hmmm...well, I know she works really hard at her studies and..."

"Oh god did she do that again?" A female voice interrupted from behind.

Louis and Alex turned around to see a young woman in a purple gown walk toward them.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear that last bit from you guys."

"You were that girl that was with Olga." Louis said.

"Yeah." She giggled. "I'm Alyssa." She greeted. Louis and Alex returned the greeting.

"You said she did this before?" Louis asked.

"Maybe not quite like this. But she often bails on events, parties, get-togethers, and the like because she says she needs to study." Alyssa sighed. "She does it even when she's having a really good time. Olga's gotten straight A's since the third grade and she takes that extremely seriously."

"Why?" Louis asked somewhat incredulously. "I mean, she was telling me her dream is to be a professional concert pianist. Why should she care so much if she gets an A in some atmospheric science class? No offense." He said, turning toward Alex.

"None taken." Alex grinned.

"That's what I try to keep telling her!" Alyssa sighed. "But she's determined to keep at it. All the studying and the A's really seem to make her happy, so that's the reason I guess."

Louis glanced down at her and then outside at the park, contemplating.

* * *

Olga got back to her dorm room and glanced into her mirror. She smiled at herself and put two fingers on her lips. The kisses were still lingering. Now when Olga saw herself in her dress, she felt genuinely beautiful. She put her cell phone down and stared at it. Her heart fluttered. She'd only just met him, but she was already eagerly awaiting his call.

Just as she thought this, the phone rang. Her heart fluttered again.

"Hello?" Olga answered.

"_Olga?_"

"Oh, hi daddy!" She calmed down. She could barely contain the disappointment in her voice.

"_Just calling you to see how everything went. How was your performance?_"

"It was wonderful daddy!" Olga gushed. "I got a standing ovation. People are happy I'm back!"

"_Aw, that's my girl!_"

"If you like, I can tell you the story of some of my concertos with a small violin medley!"

"_Maybe later, Olga. How's that test that's coming up for you in that molecular biology class you've got going? Studying hard?_"

"I actually just came back to do that, daddy."

"_Always a winner, no goofing off for you!_"

"Of course not, daddy." Olga smiled.

"_Alright well I wouldn't want to disturb you. I'll talk to you tomorrow alright?_"

"OK daddy, have a good night. And tell Helga I said hello!"

"_Huh? The girl? Yeah yeah alright._" He grunted and hung up.

Olga put the phone down on the dresser and went over to a cabinet. She lugged the heavy textbook she needed for her class over to her desk and then went to the bathroom to take her makeup off and get changed into her usual nightwear. Olga returned a few minutes later, put one hand on her cheek, and opened the book. Her expression was blank.

* * *

"Looks like you win tonight, Alex." Louis said teasingly as his friend seemed ready to leave with the young woman he'd been talking to through the night. "You've still got time, man. Almost every girl here has been checking you out."

"None of them really interest me. I'm set on my goal now." He smirked.

"So you're gonna let me win?"

"I can wait a week. And then...I'm gonna get to do something you and the chumps here can only dream about. That, my friend, is how glory is won."

Alex laughed. "You really are something. I'm sure Louis XIV would be pleased with you."

"Can't disappoint eighth-great-grandad Louis."

"Well, take care man."

"Later." Louis bid adieu and called for a car to bring him home.


	5. Date

Olga sighed as she sat in her dorm room, a pencil in hand, book on her desk, and her eyes out the window. Her blue orbs darted to her phone often and she sighed. He hadn't called. It was now Friday and she hadn't heard from him. Every time her phone rang it was invariably her father checking in, or her mother looking to talk. She sighed again and began to jot down some notes, losing herself in her studies. Then she heard a blaring _ring_ _ring_ _ring_! Olga's heart began to involuntarily beat, even though she was expecting her father to call her. He said he would around now.

"Hello?" Olga asked relatively unenthusiastically.

"_Is this the Straight A concert pianist?_" A teasing voice asked on the other end.

"Louis?" Olga asked excitedly.

"_You remembered my name! Did you need to study for that?_"

Olga burst out laughing. "It's not much to remember!" She answered back. "What are you up to?"

"_Ah, just a bunch of meetings all week. I need to unwind. Why don't you meet me at the central plaza of your campus? I think I might be able to show you a better time than your advanced studies in studying textbook._"

"Do you have anything planned?" Olga asked through her laughs.

"_You'll find out. Are you in or not?_"

"Yes." Olga answered. "Should I leave now?"

"_Yeah. I'll come over and pick you up._"

"OK. I'll see you there!" Olga replied and listened to him hang up the phone. She stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. "Oh god, what am I going to wear?!" She asked herself with some nervousness and quickly rushed to her closet.

* * *

Olga walked through her campus wearing a modest light purple dress with matching two-inch heels. She greeted well-wishers and moved to the central plaza - a fountain with benches around it. It was at the center of roads which connected to the various buildings. There she sat and waited, staring at the sky with a smile. Her phone began to ring.

"Hello?" Olga asked.

"_Olga?_"

"Oh, hi daddy!" Olga answered.

"_What are you up to? Did you get your test from Monday back?_"

"No. We won't until next week."

"_Ah. Well, I'm sure you aced it!_"

"I think so daddy." Olga answered. "How are things out in Hillwood?"

"_Oh they're doing great. I just met with a client that wants to buy a whole boatload of beepers!_"

Olga was nodding her head when she looked up and then saw Louis. He was wearing a casual dark blue blazer and matching pants, a white shirt with no tie, and light brown shoes. Olga got up and waved to him eagerly.

"Daddy, I need to go. There's something I need to do."

"_Oh alright princess. I'll talk to you later alright?_"

"OK. Bye daddy." She said and hung up as Louis came up to her. "Hi!" She greeted excitedly.

"Hey." He greeted and pulled her into a hug, giving her a small kiss on the cheek. "I like the choice of dress." He complimented.

"Thank you." She answered. "So, where are we going?"

"You'll find out in time." He grinned. "I won't spoil the surprise."

Olga sighed as he put an arm around her and led her to his car.

* * *

"The zoo?" Olga asked teasingly as he parked.

"Yep. We're going to explore the cute, the freaky, and the downright dangerous. Let's see which one you are."

"Which one are you?"

Louis grinned and pulled her close, whispering in her ear.

"I'm the dangerous kind. I'm the lion on the savannah. You might want to avoid me, or you could get hurt."

He pulled away and walked through the front gate. Olga gasped and quickly followed him, running as best she could to catch up.

* * *

"Louis look!" Olga pointed excitedly.

He turned around. The two had been in the zoo for an hour or so by now.

"Rhesus monkeys?" Louis asked with a sly grin.

"Aren't they so cute?!" Olga gushed. She bent over and waved to one of them who had snuck into a hollow tree stump and poked its head out, looking at Olga. "Awww, doesn't it look like a little dog or cat that's done something it's not supposed to and now it's hiding?!"

"Actually it looks like you." Louis said inconspicuously as he mirrored Olga's bent stance.

Olga turned to him with a shocked smile on her face and began to smack his arm.

"How does it look like me?!"

"I'm not telling if that's how I'm gonna be treated." He teased.

"I wanna know!" Olga pouted.

"Do you really?" Louis grinned evilly as he brought his face closer to hers.

"Yes." Olga almost whimpered.

Louis leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"It's cute."

Louis turned around and walked away again. Olga quickly followed him with an incredulous but flattered smile on her face. They were leaving the zoo.

* * *

"I just don't know about this..."

"It's alright Olga. I haven't done this in years."

Louis brought the pool balls back to the table he'd rented for an hour at his favorite night hangout - the Nebula. Olga held her pool cue haphazardly and chalked the end of it up.

"I'll let you break." He declared as he finished placing the balls properly within the triangle.

"OK..." Olga trailed as she went to the other end of the table.

"Loser has to buy drinks." Louis stated. "Deal?"

"Sure, if we both suck it should be fun to see who loses worst!" Olga laughed nervously as she held the pool cue and bent over.

She haphazardly pushed the cue ball forward. The other balls barely broke from the triangle formation. Louis was laughing.

"Let's see how you do!" Olga taunted.

"Fine." Louis said as he walked around, measuring clearly what shot he wanted to take. Then, effortlessly, he smacked the cue ball forward, and the solid blue '2' ball fell into a pocket. Olga's jaw dropped and he quickly followed it up with another shot that sunk the '4' ball.

"Oh my god, you lied to me!" Olga whined.

"Yep." Louis said without expression as he moved to take his next shot.

"You said you haven't played this game in years!"

"You figured it out. I lied." He grinned. "By the way, I like Hacker-Pschorr's Munich Gold. That's what you're gonna get for me."

Olga huffed.

* * *

"See?" Louis grinned as he held her. "Your form is bad. Raise your elbow like so." He raised her elbow to demonstrate.

"Where did you learn how to play?" Olga smiled up at him flirtatiously before taking a sip of her own beer.

"My brother Henry taught me." Louis returned the flirtatious smile. "He's taught me a lot of things."

"Oh?" Olga asked curiously. "He's older than you?"

"Yeah, by five years." Louis answered as he began to take his turn.

"So what does he do? Where is he?" Olga asked.

"Henry's a Navy SEAL."

Olga gasped. "Really? That's cool!"

"Yeah I suppose it is. Wish I could see him more often though. He's often on deployment doing god knows what. Saving the world probably." Louis laughed, and Olga was surprised to find that his tone was somewhat nervous, far from his usual confidence. "Any siblings in your family?" He asked.

"Yeah. I'm the older one. My younger sister's name is Helga. She's only nine, still in elementary school."

Louis looked at her surprised. "That's a pretty big age disparity."

"Yeah..." Olga sighed. "It really makes it hard to connect with her sometimes. I always try to give her some of the attention I think she needs, but it's hard to. She was honestly the reason why I went to Alaska. We had a bit of a falling out."

"So you're saying you did that for your sister?"

"Yeah, kind of. I thought about it before but she pushed me over the edge."

"That was pretty noble of you. I'm actually legitimately impressed."

"Really?" Olga asked hopefully.

Louis nodded.

"Oh, thanks!" She hugged him. "I just wish I could show her how much I care for her. It's really hard sometimes, as I've said."

"Time has a way of mending things. Don't worry about it too much. She is after all, a little kid."

"Yeah." Olga sighed. "Anyway, it's my turn." She smiled and moved to make her shot.

* * *

After another drink, Louis and Olga began to make out in a secluded spot in the lounge.

"This is a cool place, I must admit. I'm sorry I've never come here before!" Olga said wistfully.

Louis smirked and kissed her again.

"Yeah, but the music is kind of getting lame now, isn't it? This tends to happen when the real crowds come. I think I can play some better stuff elsewhere. Stuff you'll really like. Let's get out of here."

Olga nodded and Louis grabbed her hand, leading her out of the Nebula.


	6. Dido

"Take your shoes off." Louis demanded. "I want to keep my floors clean."

Olga nodded and slipped out of her heels as she was let inside. Louis closed the door and followed suit.

"Nice place." Olga whispered with a smile, observing the surroundings that were simple, yet elegant.

"I'm glad you approve of my taste." He smirked and kissed her. "Just have a seat over there." He pointed toward the sofa. "Do you want another drink?"

"Sure." Olga smiled as she sat down.

"How about some schnapps?" Louis asked as he went into the kitchen, which was connected with the living room by doors on its counter wall. Louis opened these so he could see her?

"Peach?" She asked.

"Ah." He grinned. "You've read my mind correctly. Not many girls know about the fineries of schnapps. Do you want a touch of mango with it? It greatly adds to the flavor." Louis asked as Olga giggled.

"Sure." She answered again and looked around the living room. There was a desk with a computer and a bookshelf with a lot of books. She noticed that most of them were either business or history books, with a few fictions scattered about. The _Iliad_ and the _Odyssey_ were prominent, as was Virgil's _Aeneid_. She looked around to notice some replicas of baroque-era paintings on the wall.

"Enjoying the view?" Louis asked sarcastically as he emerged in the living room with the drinks.

"You really do have a nice place." Olga smiled as she was handed her drink.

"It's a bit small though." Louis grinned and sat down with her.

"But you have great taste." She smiled flirtatiously.

"Speaking of taste." He replied, holding his drink out. "Bottoms up."

The two touched their glasses and drank the contents.

"That was very soothing." Olga said.

"I told you." He replied as he set his glass down on the coffee table nearby.

"So..." Olga began, trying to make conversation. "I see you're into the baroque style."

Louis leaned in with a sly grin on his face. Olga was blushing. "Yeah." He said simply and withdrew, causing her to laugh. "Whenever I get a bigger place I hope to purchase some replicas of the renaissance masters too."

"You seem awfully mature for someone our age."

"That might not be very hard in most circumstances." Louis grinned and pulled her close for a light kiss, and then departed again. "I'm more surprised at you, however. Most girls just don't appreciate these things, though I suppose I shouldn't really be surprised given your background."

"Yeah." Olga laughed nervously. "Speaking of that, what kind of music did you say you wanted to play?" She asked with a flirtatious glance, which Louis returned.

"I've become partial to the works of Henry Purcell lately." Louis informed as he calmly got up. "You've played some of his compositions, I'm sure."

"Of course." Olga answered.

Louis turned on his CD player and set it to play what he wanted. A deep tune began to emerge.

"Do you recognize this track?" He challenged.

"Yes. This is _Dido and Aeneas_." Olga smiled.

"And do you know what really happened between the two of them? Have you ever read Virgil's Aeneid?" Louis asked as he sauntered over.

"I haven't." Olga smiled as he sat down and pulled her close again.

"Well you see, when Aeneas and his comrades escaped from Troy as the Greeks were sacking it, they set out on a sea journey, and fate would eventually bring them to Carthage. There, Aeneas met Queen Dido, and the two quickly became lovers." Louis whispered into Olga's ear and planted kisses on her cheek.

"Go on." Olga giggled.

"Aeneas and his people stayed there for an entire year. Dido offered to marry him and make him king. But..."

"What?" Olga asked instinctively.

Louis kissed her again before continuing. "Fate was not to have it that Aeneas would become King of Carthage. He was fated instead to be the father of a great city in Italy, and so Juno and his mother Venus set events into motion wherein he would abandon Dido. Dido was so heartbroken that she had a funeral pyre built, ascended to the top of it, and fell on Aeneas' sword, and she cursed Aeneas and his descendants forever. A thousand years later, it was thought by the Romans that when Hannibal crossed the Alps and rampaged in Italy, that Dido's curse had finally come to life. On the day of Cannae, fifty thousand Romans were killed."

"Oh my..." Olga gasped.

"Would you love somebody so much that you'd be willing to kill yourself and curse his descendants for leaving you?" Louis asked lowly and began to plant kisses on Olga's neck and collarbone. "Would your love...and hate, extend so far that you'd see fifty thousand dead in a few hours?"

"I'd never want to harm somebody else..." Olga gasped and closed her eyes in pleasure as he continued to kiss her. "But who wouldn't want to love so strongly?" She asked huskily and moaned slightly, as her ears continued to ring with the hypnotic sounds of the _Dido and Aeneas_ Overture. She gasped again when Louis pulled her into his lap and began to run one hand on her thigh and stroked her hair with the other. "Oh Louis..." She gasped as he began to kiss her jawline. "...You're really turning me on..."

"Good, I'm pleased." He smirked through the kisses, causing her to laugh. "Don't think you need to keep your hands to yourself." He teased.

Olga threw her head back and laughed seductively as Louis again kissed her neck, collarbone, and shoulders. Olga smirked and undid a few buttons on his shirt, gasping in delight when she saw the fit body underneath.

"Oh..." Olga sighed and ran her fingers along his abs and pectoral muscles.

The two shared a flirtatious glance and she began to laugh nervously, but pleasurably. Louis growled lowly in her ear and planted a few kisses on it, running his hand down her back and continuing to caress her thighs. Olga too, caressed his chest and abs, marveling how they were rock-hard. Louis growled again, and Olga felt that his chest was not the only thing that was rock hard.

This caused a realization to flood Olga, and she opened her eyes wide in shock. She haphazardly stood up.

"I'm sorry Louis..." She trailed nervously.

"What's the problem?" He asked incredulously.

"I really like you Louis, but this is just going too fast for me..." She continued to trail.

He smirked with a slight chuckle.

"I need to go. I'm sorry." She said again.

"You don't have to apologize to me." He smirked.

"You're not upset?" She asked, concerned.

"Well I'm disappointed of course, but if it's a no-go, then it's a no-go. You are going to go out with me again, of course. I'd hate to be abandoned like Dido. My heart wouldn't be able to take it." He sighed melodramatically.

"Of course I'll go out with you again!" Olga giggled. "I just...need some more time." She sighed.

"Do you want me to drive you back?" He offered.

"No. I'll call a cab." She answered. She smiled and bent down to kiss him, and then left his apartment.

Louis got up when he heard the door shut. He chuckled and went to the bathroom to clean himself up before going to bed.

"Alright Louis, time to change tactics." He said to himself with a slightly arrogant smirk.


	7. Concert

**Sorry for the late update. I've been rather busy the past month.**

* * *

Another five days had gone by. The awkwardness of the situation had made him think very carefully about what he would do next. It wasn't like such a thing hadn't happened before, but Louis had a feeling that he needed to be especially delicate this particular time. As was typical with him, Louis threw himself into work, the gym, and books to get a clearer head.

The phone rang. Louis picked it up.

"Yo." He answered.

"Hey man." Alex Narshkev's voice greeted him. "Been a while. How'd the date with Olga go last week?"

"I got her to go home with me, but she wouldn't put out." Louis responded. "Why so interested?"

Alex was chuckling. "I got invited to this event by some of the higher-ups in the physics department. Turns out they know some people. There's gonna be an exclusive concert by Ronnie Matthews, followed by an afterparty. They gave me four tickets. I figured you might want to bring Olga along with one of them."

"Now why the hell would I want to go to a Ronnie Matthews concert?" Louis taunted.

"Hey now, I'm going for the afterparty." Alex answered. "Besides, you never know who might be around at these things."

"I suppose that much is true." Louis responded. "Thanks for the offer. What day is it?"

"This coming Saturday."

"Ah, I see. Thanks for the invite. I'll be there. Let's see if she wants to go."

"No problem man. Hopefully it all works out."

"Talk to you later." Louis smirked and hung up the phone. He then began to dial another number.

* * *

Olga Pataki turned another page of her textbook.

"No, that's not right!" She sighed and frantically erased the answer she wrote down. Her eraser debris was piling up. This mathematics class was tough.

The phone rang.

"Hello?" She answered in a somewhat exhausted tone.

"Olga?"

"Louis?" She asked, somewhat surprised. "Uhh...hi...what's on your mind?" She trailed awkwardly.

"Hey, if it's about last Friday, look, don't worry about it, I understand."

"You're not mad at me?" She asked submissively.

Louis laughed. "Of course not. Stop taking yourself so seriously."

Olga laughed nervously.

"It's a bit awkward, but I want to move past it if you do."

"Yeah well...I'll be honest, it made me feel uncomfortable."

"Well, I won't apologize for finding you attractive." Louis answered. "But again, I understand. That wasn't my intention."

"Well I'm glad you're being honest about it." Olga said softly.

"So what are you up to? Wait, studying."

"Yeah." Olga answered. "You've read me like a book. I've been at it for two straight days now."

"You need to relax I think."

"Did you have anything in mind?" Olga asked with a smile.

"As a matter of fact I did. Alex has these tickets to to a concert by Ronnie Matthews, followed by an afterparty."

Olga giggled. "I didn't think you would be interested in going to a Ronnie Matthews concert."

"I'm not." He immediately denied.

"Are you sure?" Olga asked teasingly, cutting him off before he could say anything more.

"Don't hurt my feelings, Olga." Louis said melodramatically, causing her to laugh. "I'm going there for the afterparty. There's an extra ticket and I want you to come with me."

"What day is it on?"

"This Saturday. Are you in or not?"

"It sounds like fun. I'll go." Olga said softly.

"Great. The concert starts at 7. So I'll come pick you up around 6:20, 6:30."

"Sounds fine. I'm looking forward to it. I'll be honest, I'm really glad you called."

"Why?" Louis asked with a smirk that was audible to Olga.

"I was expecting a call from my daddy. I'd much rather talk with you." She giggled.

"Oh?" Louis smirked. "I can be your daddy if you want."

Olga laughed. "No, he's just real serious when it comes to my studies. I think he just wants to see me do well."

"...Is that why you put such an emphasis on getting straight A's?"

"Well, kind of. It does make me happy that my mommy and daddy are so proud of me."

"Hmmm..." Louis sighed. "Well it's good that it makes you happy, but remember that you're the only one of you on Planet Earth. You should live accordingly."

"Yeah." Olga smiled.

"Alright well, I'll see you on Saturday."

"Looking forward to it." Olga answered.

* * *

_"I saw your face and wow! Right then I took a vow. That we'd be together girl just you and me! That's the meaning of eternity!_

_"I saw...I saw...your face...and wow!_

_I saw...I saw...your face...and wow!"_

"Great...now I have to sit through this for an hour and a half." Louis sighed loudly, the blaring lights shining off his skin.

"Yeah..." Olga joined him. "I'm just waiting for the afterparty to start." She smiled.

Louis smirked in surprise. "You're telling me that you're girl that doesn't like Ronnie Matthews? Does such a thing even exist?"

"We exist!" Olga replied with a wide smile. "I always thought he was a dork! Have you seen any of his interviews?"

"No. I don't watch that stupidity."

"Well..." Olga laughed. "He really is a dork. And I'll let you in on a little secret." Olga said, moving her face towards his ear and covering one side of her mouth with her hand to make the sound travel better. "I don't think that's really him singing." She said with a sly smile and moved back.

"What do you mean?" Louis grinned. "And come close! Otherwise I might not hear you."

The two grinned at each other as he leaned over and she leaned to whisper in his ear.

"I know my way around music. You know that by now. When I hear his voice in interviews versus the way he sings, something seems off. His voice just shouldn't be able to move from that manner of speaking to this manner of singing. The tonality is just too different."

Louis looked at her with a sly smirk.

"So you're saying he's a fake?"

"I can't prove it, but I think so." She smiled. "But I can't just spread rumors, that would be libel."

"I can keep secrets. Don't worry." He responded with a twinkle in his eye.

"All he really has is his fangirls." Olga stated as she watched him move on stage. "Without them, this guy would be nothing. I don't understand why people think these lyrics are so poetic."

"They were probably generated by a computer, along with the voice."

The two looked at each other for a second and then broke out into laughter. They would spend the rest of the concert pointing out things about Ronnie Matthews to make fun of, actually enjoying the concert in this way.


End file.
